Since the riding season is now in full
motion the usual group of maintenance tasks are now required. The big
scooter, since it's my primary ride, was due for its regular thousand
mile oil change. A simple oil change is not an epic undertaking on
this scooter. A drain plug is in the bottom and on the side of the
engine there is a cap with a screen filter and spring behind it. On a
good day at a relaxed pace I can accomplish this task in half an hour
from the first grabbing of tools to the final clean up and placing
tools back in their assigned place.

To add a little color to the task I
took my 55 piece Craftsman Evolv socket set out of my minivan. I
bought them on sale to carry in the car in the off chance that I
might need to fix something on the road. A little known fact is that
these tools are made in China for Sears. I thought that it would be
quite fitting to perform this maintenance task on a Chinese scooter
with Chinese made tools. The sockets are fairly well made and worked
just fine for the task at hand. In no time the set was back in the
car having served me well.

While the symbolism here might not be
apparent let me illuminate you. Like my Chinese scooters, the tool
set is not exactly top quality but does the job. I have no doubt that
if I abused any tool in the set it would fail. This is exactly the
same assumption I have when I use my Chinese scooters. Used with care
they will be around for a long time. If I abuse them they will fail.
The choice of how to use anything is in the hands of the owner. I
choose to use care in how I use my things.

I also have better made American tools
in the event of failure. Much like having the Honda Rebel to fall
back on. A little safety net never hurts.